


What Happens in Tahiti stays in Tahiti

by aimless38



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: BAMF Phil Coulson, Fix-It, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-06
Updated: 2013-11-06
Packaged: 2017-12-31 16:02:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1033612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aimless38/pseuds/aimless38
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Phil Coulson doubts the choices he makes with his new team Clint's is the voice in the darkness that provides the reassurance for him to continue.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Happens in Tahiti stays in Tahiti

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nicari_chan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicari_chan/gifts), [Kika988](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kika988/gifts).



> This is my first posting. Thanks to all the authors in this fandom that have inspired me to try to write as well. Not beta'd so forgive any mistakes.

What happens in Tahiti stays in Tahiti

 

Clint Barton groaned and rolled over in the big bed. He flung his arm out across the mattress as if searching for something that wasn’t there. Missing was the one person he’d walked through hell to get back again.

~*~

Clint would be forever grateful to Tony Stark’s insatiable curiosity. Stark who wanted to have a lavish memorial for one Philip Coulson and was brushed off time and again by Director Fury. Then due to some creative hacking Tony discovered that Agent Coulson was in a non descript Shield Branch medical facility in Albany and had been for several weeks.

Where Agent Coulson had been before that was a complete mystery. No amount of hacking could discover his whereabouts for the two months prior to him showing up at that Shield sanctioned hospital.

All his records stated was that Coulson languished in a coma for those months while the archer thought he was dead. Stabbed completely through by Loki’s scepter. Barely missing his heart.  They called it a miracle Phil had even survived. Just exactly how was still shrouded in mystery. You just don’t simply recover from trauma that massive without a ‘little’ help.

Then it was a struggle to get past Fury and keep Natasha from killing the director. Or at least giving him several painful and completely embarrassing injuries.

Clint’s bedside vigil was almost more than he could bear. Right on the heels of his own issues with being compromised.  Natasha had been his rock. Someone he could shout at, spar with, get drunk with and even understood why he refused to cry.  Clint was afraid that if he did he’d never be able to put himself back together again. She did more for him than the Shield shrinks ever managed. Natasha didn’t push, she didn’t tell him how he was supposed to feel or try and ask prying questions about his time under Loki’s control. Natasha just let him be while under her wary observation.

Frankly it also surprised the hell out of the archer that the other ‘Avengers’ rallied around him as well. Making sure Clint knew he was part of the team. Even going so far as to move him into Stark’s huge tower. Which was kind of a relief since he was persona non gratis at Shield at the moment. The world security council or as Tony liked to call them ‘Those dicks with a nuclear fetish’ were eager to pick Clint’s brain. The archer just wasn’t at all sure if they needed it in his head to do it.

He’d never forget either the moment Phil woke. Clint had just come back from an enforced meal and shower. He’d been practically frog marched out of the hospital room by Nat with orders not to come back until he didn’t smell like a transient and the growling of his stomach didn’t drown out any conversation he tried to have. Clint had just sat down at Phil’s bedside and had taken the agent’s lax hand in his when he felt a slight tightening of fingers. Then Coulson’s forehead scrunched up and his nose wrinkled. Phil blinked a few times and Clint held his breath.

The doctors warned there might be a risk of brain damage.

Phil’s blue-grey eyes slowly focused on Clint’s face and he managed a smile that caused the archer’s throat to constrict and his chest to ache.

It was three little words whispered in a raspy voice that completely destroyed Clint.

“Talk to me.”

All of his hard won control and repressed emotions were too much to keep in check. Clint thought he’d never hear Coulson say that ever again. Clint’s head dropped to the edge of the bed and the first choked sobs that tore their way out of his body made him feel as if he were being turned inside out.

Clint felt the hand in his hair and the clumsy way weak fingers stroked his head in a comforting manner. Phil’s reassuring voice in his ears only made the efforts to get himself under control impossible.

The archer must have passed out not long after that because when he woke Clint was shoved against a metal railing on the hospital bed curled up alongside Phil’s body. Warm and secure with the senior Agent’s arm draped over his chest. He saw Natasha’s amused face looking at him from the chair he previously occupied.

“How?” Clint’s scratchy voice started to ask. He was interrupted by his partner thrusting a glass of water in his face.

“Phil insisted. You passed out on him Clint. I know you haven’t been sleeping. He wouldn’t let them take you anywhere else. We shoveled you into bed beside him and he treated you like his own personal teddy bear and fell back asleep. They checked Phil out, he’s going to be fine apparently.” Natasha took the empty cup away and set it on the bedside table.

Clint didn’t miss how her voice wavered and he reached out to lay his hand on her cheek. “Are you going to be all right?”

“I will be now that you’re both here.” Natasha simply answered. Then she stood up.

Clint blinked up at her sleepily. He could already feel his fatigue pulling him under. Plus he didn’t put it past Nat to have slipped something in his drink. “Thanks. You’ve helped me more than you can ever imagine Nat.”

Natasha shook her head. “Someone had to. I drew the short straw and there was no way I was going to let Stark near you. His brand of comforting involved lots of alcohol and strippers.”

Clint managed a laugh. One of the first in months. He smiled back at his partner as she started to leave the room.

“Get some more rest. The nurses are under orders not to bother either of you until you call them. I’ll be close by.”

Clint closed his eyes and laid his head back down on Phil’s shoulder. The Agent moved slightly in his sleep tightening his grip on Clint’s shirt. He muttered something unintelligible and dropped off again. Clint followed soon after finally feeling safe and content.

 

After that it was a whirlwind of PT to get Phil back on his feet. Which, in Clint’s opinion, went almost preternaturally fast. He couldn’t fathom the side long looks and the whispers from the doctors either.

But that really didn’t matter right now. He had Phil back and wasn’t ever going to lose him again.

That didn’t turn out to be true either. Clint was now an Avenger. They were getting called out on the things that were too big for Shield or the military to handle. The strange and bizarre was creeping out of the woodwork now. Seemed like the Chitauri invasion was only the tip of the iceberg. Which meant he saw less of his lover than he would have wished.

Then Phil started spouting snippets about his recovery. Of the unaccounted two months before he’d been discovered by Tony’s little hack job. Something about recovering at a Shield facility in Tahiti. About it being a magical place. Clint immediately noted the odd look that crossed Coulson’s face when he revealed that.

Clint was aware that his clearance was not high enough to know everything but as far as he did know there was no Shield medical facility in Tahiti. There was no record of Phil’s recovery before Albany. What the fuck? Truthfully it scared Clint spitless. But until he knew more the archer was keeping it to himself.

Tony was still digging and Natasha was trying to find out what she could. Sooner or later they would have the truth. Clint was just not sure he really wanted to know. Or that Phil could handle whatever had facilitated his rapid recovery.

Then came the bombshell that Agent Coulson would be heading up his own handpicked team to handle all the cases that fell into the weird but not Avenger caliber category. The ones the local authorities would be unable to deal with.

Clint assumed that Phil would simply be Shield’s liaison to the Avengers. A job that would keep him in the game but mostly out of harm’s way. Something Clint was selfishly glad of. But Agent Coulson would not be coddled.

Their first big argument centered on their kid glove treatment of Phil. It made the agent feel useless and weak. The fight had escalated so far as Clint stalking out and spending the night on Natasha’s couch. Until she literally kicked him in the ass with a hissed ‘fix this’ or else. Then shoved him out of her apartment.

Clint and Phil both admitted being afraid for the other’s safety. The archer going up against the likes of Doom and Phil being sent all over the globe chasing down potential supers and other weird phenomenon.  There had also been the fear of the toll the long absences would take on their relationship. But they vowed never to let it get in the way of the job despite feeling otherwise. Promised to stay in contact when possible and visits whenever either one of them was in range. Or not as transport could be arranged. That’s when it came in handy having a billionaire on the team. Tony had access to some amazing aircraft. In fact Tony practically blackmailed Fury to stay the fuck out of Clint and Phil’s relationship. The billionaire engineer, after all, had most of the contracts to upgrade and retrofit Shield’s equipment. One of the things being the ‘bus’ as Phil’s new team so fondly called it.

Phil’s team…Clint researched them all whether he was supposed to have access or not. Agent May, despite having been semi-retired, Clint knew she would help watch Phil’s back. Agent Ward…jeez. He had a troubled family background. Was a sniper and a bit of a loner and had a standoffish attitude. Did Phil realize he’d picked the mini-me version of his favorite archer? Then there was Fitz and Simmons. Clint had met them a few times in the R and D department of Shield. They were blindingly smart but hopelessly naive. Clint knew Phil would do his best to take care of his geeks. But my god they had zero field experience.

The first time Clint showed up with Tony in tow to the ‘bus’ the team of Fitz-Simmons totally geeked out. They took a bemused Stark on a tour of their domain.  Where the billionaire immediately dubbed them the ‘science babies’. He’d not seen Stark again until he’d had to physically pry him away from tinkering with Fitz’s little hovering robots. But then Clint was feeling pretty mellow after cornering Phil in his office and having his wicked way with him.

Clint had bumped into the last member of the team outside Phil’s door. He’d been adjusting his shirt and running a hand through his thoroughly messed up hair. He smiled back at Skye’s knowing leer and winked at her as he went to find Tony. After that Clint routinely got all manner or candid pictures of Phil sent to his phone. He’d found a co-conspirator in the young consultant.

Hawkeye then regularly kept tabs on Phil and his team. His heart nearly stopping on more than one occasion. The urge to rush in with the Avengers overwhelming at times. But Clint knew his gesture would not be appreciated. He had to let Phil have this. To let go enough to be there for his lover but not smother him. It went both ways as well. Every time Clint got hurt or tried some crazy stunt Phil’s voice was right there demanding what the hell he was thinking and he’d better get his ass to medical.

And once again they were separated after a brief two week hiatus…one that Clint was not ashamed to admit was spent mostly in bed. Phil and his team heading to bumfuck nowhere to check out a suspicious death.

~*~

Clint blinked and sat up. He grimaced as the movement pulled at the still healing stitches that ran along his ribs on the right side of his body. Fucking doombot swatted him like a fly right through a plate glass window into a wall. It had taken hours for medical to pick all the glass out of his back and legs. Phil had been there the next day to spare medical from trying to murder the recalcitrant archer. Agent Coulson had driven them to Stark towers and ushered Clint into his apartment. Where Phil proceeded to strip Clint and examine every inch of his body as they made their way to the shower. After Phil lovingly traced each bruise, cut and contusion with gentle fingers and then with his tongue. Igniting Clint’s nerve endings as if he’d been dipped in pure fire. Then Coulson thoroughly and with much attention to detail literally blew Clint’s mind. Then when he was a panting, shuddering wreck on the bed Phil gently prepared him and slid home. Making love to the archer with such a quiet intense passion that it almost brought Clint to tears.

They spent the rest of the night wrapped in each other’s arms. Then spent the remainder of Phil’s leave getting to know each other all over again. Amid many containers of take out, reality TV, shared showers and intense fucking. During the quiet moments Phil talked about his new team. His hopes for them and his worries about his own odd quirks since he’d woken up. Ones that worried the archer enough so that he urgently requested Stark find out what the hell was going on.

Still they had nothing. Phil was doing fine though and was starting to really pull his team together.

 

Clint yawned and got out of bed. He walked naked into the kitchen and got a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. He opened the cap and drank the contents as he headed back to the bedroom. Just as he flopped back down on the disheveled covers his phone rang. Clint glanced at the clock. Two A.M. That was never a good sign. He silenced Phil’s ringtone and his nervous hello sounded overly loud in the dark bed room.

“I can’t do this.” Came Phil’s shaky voice.

And there it was. The call Clint had been waiting for. The one where Phil confessed his imagined failings as a leader. Phil had a huge heart under his perfectly pressed suits and truly cared for his team. He felt their pain and dreaded the call that might send one of them to their death.

Clint listened as Phil recounted the last mission. About the mysterious floating corpses and electrical discharge anomalies. When he revealed the source to be a pathogen on a piece of Chitauri armor Clint forgot how to breathe. Clint’s grip on the phone tight as he asked with clenched teeth if Phil had been infected. His relief was short lived as Phil replied that he had not. But Jemma Simmons contracted the deadly malady. That she’d almost died and flung herself out of the plane to keep the electrical discharge from her symptoms from frying the whole plane. Right when Fitz realized the cure they’d been working on was effective. Ward jumping out to save the scientist raised the sniper quite a few notches in Clint’s book. It was something he would have done without hesitation.

Then came all the should have, would haves from his lover. All the self-doubt and second guessing that was so unlike the Phil Coulson that had been his handler for years. Apparently Phil’s brush with death changed him. Ripped away some of Coulson’s confidence and belief in his own talent.

“Bull-fucking-shit Phil.” Clint interrupted. Pissed that Phil was beating himself up so badly.

“Excuse me?” Phil stopped mid tirade sounding a bit surprised.

“You heard me. You’ve got to stop second guessing yourself. You were my handler in the field for years. You were the only person I trusted with my life. Even if you had to make a difficult call. Then if things went ass up I knew I could count on you to do your damndest to make it right. Phil you are the badest, most competent motherfucker I know. If you tell Fury I quoted him you’ll never get another blow job ever again.” Clint lay down on the bed with his phone up to his ear.

“Yes you think so…but.” Phil began until Clint interrupted him again.

“Do you think Natasha would let an idiot lead her in the field? Would I? Does your team think you are capable? I bet they do. I would not be surprised if May didn’t give you this same speech…minus the blowjob that is. Phil you put yourself in danger for them. You watch their backs. Push them to excel. To work together to be a cohesive team. Hell Phil most of the baby agents are so in awe of you they think you walk on water. So stop with all this self pity already.” Clint made a frustrated snort as he impatiently ran a hand through his hair. Damn he wanted to be there right now. To make Phil see how important he was. How much he was respected.

“I suppose you’re right. It’s just I’ve made mistakes.” Phil sighed loudly over the phone. Clint could hear his office chair creak as he dropped heavily into it.

“We all make mistakes Phil. But you take responsibility for yours. Hell you fill them out in triplicate. Everything came out ok. You stayed calm and kept Fitz and Simmons working and they did come through. Just like you knew they would. You have faith in your team try having some faith in yourself huh?” Clint rolled over onto his uninjured side.

“What did I ever do to deserve you?” Coulson asked fondly. Clint was relieved to hear the tension bleed out of his voice.

“I dunno sir some would think you were saddled with me. I ask myself the same thing every day. I don’t care how it happened I’m just grateful as hell to have you back. You know I love you Phil. More than I ever thought I was capable of loving anyone.” Clint cleared his throat.

“I love you too. Now get some rest. I know you’re not off medical leave yet. And Clint? Thanks. I don’t know what I would do without you either. Sleep now. I know it’s late there.” Phil’s voice caught a bit too at his confession.

“No way. I’m awake. Now you have to entertain me. So how about some dirty, raunchy good old fashioned phone sex.” Clint asked suggestively.

Phil’s delighted laughter was like music to Clint’s ears and he cherished it every time. He also noted that Phil didn’t say no.

“Tell me Phil what are you wearing? I bet it’s that navy pinstripe I love so much. The pants really showcase your ass. And that grey tie? The one that matches your eyes gets me so hot. I want to rip it off you and use it to tie you to the headboard.” Clint’s voice was pitched husky and low.

“I might be.” Came Phil’s rather breathy reply.

 

“Do tell sir, do tell.” Clint drawled and then settled in for a very satisfying night after all.

 

 


End file.
